Chryseis
by Twilight-staruby
Summary: This is a story of a girl who, after her sister's death, moved to Ashton, a quiet little town in Massaschusetts. There, she finds out that the town isn't as quiet as it had seemed...nor as harmless...For her sister's own killer is there himself...
1. Disclaimers

Author: TwilightStaruby

Title: Chryseis

Summary: This is a story of a girl who, after her sister's death, moved to Ashton, a quiet little town in Massaschusetts. There, she finds out that the town isn't as quiet as it had seemed...nor as harmless...For her sister's own killer is there himself...

Disclaimers: All original theory on the NightWorld is owned by L.J.Smith. Chryseis and other main characters are mine.


	2. Prologue

Title:Chryseis

Author:Twilightstaruby

Prologue:

That was how they found her, laying beside the river, her face laying sideways on the palm of the hand tucked under her. She seemed to be frozen in an everlasting sleep; like Snow White in her glass coffin after she swallowed the poison apple. Her lips were curled up slightly in a smile, her face serene and peaceful, in contrast to the blood that had stained the grass she was lying on a bright crimson red.

Chryseis felt her throat clench until she was almost unable to breathe. Grief welled up in her in volumes, suffocating in their intensity.

"Alianne!" The name tore out of her with a wail as she tried to go to her sister but was held back by the restraining hands of the sheriff.

Behind her, her mother, Alianne's mother, fainted in the arms of her husband, unable to cope with the shock of seeing one's child dead.

_"You promised me! You promised that you would be with me forever! That you will take care of me! Why, Alianne? Why?" _Chryseis cried out,"_Answer me, damn it!"_

But she never replied. She simply lay there in silence, frozen in time. forever gone to those who loved her.

That was the last time Chryseis saw her, in that peaceful serene... and the twin puncture marks on the side of her neck.


	3. Chapter One

Chapter One:

Chryseis watched emotionlessly as they lowered the coffin containing Alianne's body into the hole in the earth. The rioting emotions she was experiencing within her was totally contrary to the calm exterior she presented to the crowd.

She lifted her gaze from the coffin, unable to bear the sight of the painful reminder that her sister was lost to them forever, focusing them instead on the people who have come to attend her sister's funeral.

Funeral. Chryseis felt the tears she thought she had used up prickle her eyes. There was such finality in the single word. It intoned that she would never be able to see her sister again.

Involuntarily, her gaze wandered back to the coffin. __

_No._ Chryseis jerked her gaze away and forced herself to concentrate on the crowd of people instead. All of the people gathered here are-no, were-friends or people whom Alianne had known while she had been alive.

She ran her eyes slowly over each one, remembering who they were and what they had meant to her sister. There was Joey, who had been Alianne's best friend since preschool, crying her eyes out almost literally, Fred, one of Alianne's boyfriend's wannabes (there were dozens of them), and…

Her eyes found someone unfamiliar standing just at the edge of the crowd. He was handsome; startling so, with shoulder-length hair which was golden with ruddy highlights and strong features, his fair complexion emphasized by the coal black suit he was wearing.

At that moment, he raised his gaze from the ongoing funeral and met hers directly. They were the colour of melted gold, intense…and cold. _A fallen angel_, Chryseis thought, unable to tear her gaze away from his. He broke the gaze first, turning away to leave; Chryseis did not realize that she had been holding her breath the whole time until she took the much-needed breath deeply.

_Who was that?_ She searched her memories for any sign that she might have seen him before, but no. She knew practically everyone in the town; she had grown up here after all, and it was a small town.

Her eyes followed his progress as he walked through the old graves to the newer graves, those that had just been buried. He kneeled down in front of one of the simpler tombstones, placed a bunch of flowers that he held in his hand and simply stayed there for a while, staring at the headstone. Then he left.

As soon as the coffin had been lowered into the grave, Chryseis escaped from the dreary and stifling atmosphere the funeral gave. She couldn't stand the sadness lingering in the air any longer. She knew that if she stayed any longer, she would break down and cry. She took a walk through the graveyard pausing occasionally to read the inscriptions on them.

She came to a stop in front of a grave, the only one with fresh flowers adorning the plain headstone, a realized with a jolt that it was the grave that the man had been kneeling in front of. She squatted down to read the inscription and gave a involuntary shiver.

There, carved on the cool granite, were the words: _Therein lies Nicholas Silverthorn, beloved brother whose blood stains the hands of the slayer forever…may revenge be sought and dealt…in blood._

She wondered at the words, unusual as they were to be carved on a headstone. She felt the underlying anger from whoever had ordered the inscription to be carved and the threat in the words themselves. Whoever it was must have loved this Nicholas very dearly, she thought, _and _would do anything to revenge him. She wondered if that man was this Nicholas's brother…

A call from her father requesting for her presence broke her train of thoughts. Chryseis stood up, brushing at her skirt absently then headed back to the funeral, putting away her unanswered question.


	4. Chapter Two

Chapter 2

"What?"

"I said that we will be moving to Ashton, Massachusetts, on the 27th." Sean Elafros said anxiously, pleading for understanding with his cobalt blue eyes, so alike those of Chryseis.

"Next Monday?!" her voice came out as a slight squeak as emotions she couldn't decipher flooded through her.

"Yes. We are going to live with your aunt, Serene. She lives there, you remember? We used to visit her…" Sean knew he was rambling, and he wished desperately then for his wife. These talks simply are not meant for a man to deliver. Especially to his daughter.

"There are reasons for this move, Chrissy. Please understand. Your mother hasn't been herself since-" Saying Alianne's name still hurts, Sean realized, feeling tears coming to his eyes.

"I understand, Daddy. I…I just need to think it over." With that, Chryseis dashed out of the kitchen where they had been talking.

* * *

Sean heard the slam of her door as Chryseis entered her room. He sighed and sank into a nearby chair. He wasn't so sure she understood.

Once in her room, Chryseis sank down into her bed, lying spread-eagle on her back, and thought about what her father had said.

Moving away? Leave everything she had grown up with? Can she really do that? Leave her friends, familiar grounds and…Alianne's memories. Chryseis remembered the way her father had been unable to say out Alianne's name and how his eyes had filled at the memory of his dead daughter.

_It had been hard on him too; only he doesn't show it because he has to take care of mom and me,_ Chryseis realized suddenly. He had suffered silently, because he knew he was the only one who could look after the family.

She sighed. Complying him and not making it hard of him was the least she could do. Though it means moving away from her friends and the place she grew up in…together with memories of Alianne.

She stood up and walked to Alianne's room, which was adjoined to hers. It had been untouched since Alianne's death a few weeks ago.

The pale blue wallpaper still had the dirty yellow stain at the corner when she and Alianne had accidentally spilled their mother's best perfume while experimenting with it.

Her mother had been furious, she recalled with a grin. She had made them clear up the mess and grounded them. But they hadn't been able to do anything about the smell and stain, so the smell had lingered on, a light flowery fragrance that scented the room. Even now, a faint fragrance lingered in the room. It reminded her suddenly of how much she had missed Alianne. The room lacked a certain vitality that Alianne had filled it with when she was alive.

Alianne's desk was scattered untidily with textbooks and pens. She was never one for neatness. She was like a whirlwind, rushing from one place to another, simply bursting with life and youthfulness.

Chryseis, on the other hand, was more reserved and studious. Her sister had never understood her love for books and her aversion to speaking in public.

For Alianne, speaking out was one of the ways she could express her ideas and make friends.

For Chryseis, speaking out was one way to allow others the chance to ridicule her, and one of the ways to induce an early death, through stage fright. She preferred the solitude and peace her books could offer her, to the exasperation of her sister.

Her mother used to comment on how different their characters were as sisters. Like fire and water, she used to laugh and say. But deep down, they had loved each other more than words could express.

Her mother had not laughed again since Alianne's death. She suppressed a shudder as she remembered the brutal way Alianne had been killed. She moved towards Alianne's bed and sat down on the edge.

And jolted as she felt something hard underneath her. Standing up quickly, she looked under her for anything she might have sat on accidentally. Nothing. But the shape was there; Chryseis frowned as she felt the shape simply by pressing her hand down on the little lump.

Unless…she lifted the edge of the heavy mattress and saw the plain little notebook tucked there. She took it out, frowning slightly even as she examined it.

Then, her hand froze as she opened the book. Diary of Alianne Elafros…keep out if you know what is best for you. The words were printed in bold letters in Alianne's cursive handwriting.

Alianne had kept a diary? That was something Chryseis hadn't counted on. Alianne simply did not seem to be one with the patience to keep something like a diary.

Amused, she flipped the book over and opened the last page…and promptly dropped the book onto the floor. The book dropped with a thud to the tiling, opened on the page Chryseis had flipped to. There, in Alianne's handwriting, were the words,"Nicholas, 12 pm. Find Samantha. He is coming to kill me."


	5. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

_He is coming to kill me._ The words repeated itself incoherently in her mind.

What had Alianne meant by that? Had she predicted her death? Was that why she had died so peacefully despite being murdered in such a brutal way?

And who was Nikolas and Samantha? How were they related on any way to her death?

All these questions battered at her as she sank unsteadily onto the bed, leaving the book at her feet, still opened on the page, the words jumping out at her.

She didn't know whether she wanted to cry or scream. She didn't know if it was for her sake or Alianne's sake. She buried her face into her hands.

_Crack._

The high-pitched sound of glass cracking had Chryseis starting, her eyes flying towards the source of the sound-the floor length French-windows that graced the balcony of Alianne's bedroom.

Even spidery lines had spread out like an intricate web on the pane of glass for the top to the bottom, almost shocking in their symmetry. The night sky beyond them looked eerily distorted.

Chryseis barely had the time to register what was happening when, with a resounding crash, the glass shattered outwards, raining down shards onto the balcony even as Chryseis let out an involuntary scream of horror.

Chryseis sat on the bed, eyes wide, on the glass shards, the silence almost deafening in the aftermath of the incident. Loud footsteps thumped outside the door before the door slammed opened to reveal her parents.

For a while they stared at the French windows in silence, shock rooting them to their position.

Her mother was the first to make the move. She lurched forward towards Chryseis; face pale with fright, stumbling in her haste to get to Chryseis.

"Oh my God! Chryseis, are you hurt?" Her mother gushed out in one breath even as her hands ran over Chryseis to check for any hidden injuries.

"I…I am fine. Just a little shaken." Her mother, though placated for the moment by Chryseis' reassurance, continued to eye her beadily.

"This is strange." Her father's voice brought their attention to him, who was crouching among the broken shards, fingering one of the pieces in his hands.

He stood up and walked over to Chryseis and her mother, taking with him the piece he had in his hand.

"Look. The piece is cut to neatly." He indicated to the clean edge of the piece.

Startled, Chryseis could see that he was right. The edges were smooth, too smooth.

"Put it away, Sean. Chrissy just had a shock. She needs to rest first before the police comes." Straightening, her mother suddenly swayed.

"Mom!"

"Gabrielle!"

Both Chryseis and Sean cried out and reached out for her at the same time, her father wrapped an arm around her mother just in time to stop her from falling.

"Oh dear, I am feeling a little dizzy. Maybe I should go and lie down." Gabrielle attempted to smile at them, but ended up coughing instead.

_Her mother did indeed look slightly pale_. Chryseis realized worriedly.

"You shouldn't even have been up." Her father said grimly as he led her mother out of the room.

"Chryseis?" Her father's questioning voice had Chryseis getting to her feet and moving out of the room.

At the last minute, she turned back and retrieved the notebook lying on the floor then, with a look at the balcony, turned to leave the room, shutting the door gently behind her.


	6. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The gentle breeze ruffled Chryseis' pale blond hair as she stood in front of the beautiful two-story brownstone house, admiring its lush gardens and beautifully mowed lawn, which spread like a soft, downy carpet across half the front yard.

People moved to and fro beside her in a flurry of movement as they carried the Elafros' sparse belongings into the house, directed by her father.

Chryseis was glad that her mother, who was standing beside her father, locked in an animated discussion with Aunt Serene, was looking much better. Her face had lost that pale, drawn look it had developed since Alianne's death. It was instead flushed with a healthy rose, the colour of health.

"Chryseis!" She moved forward as her mother beckoned her over to them. Up close, she could see that Aunt Serene was pretty, with straight long blond hair that had remained white-hair free despite being forty years of age. She was tiny and petite, dressed in a flora print dress. But one thing that really stood out were her lilac colored eyes.

Her aunt's heart-shaped face broke out into a smile and Chryseis found her trapped in an hard embraced and a fragrance that threatened to overwhelm her.

"Chryseis! Oh, my dear child, how big you have grown! Look at you! So pretty!" Even as her Aunt let out this impressive speech in one breath, she ran her hands over Chryseis to emphasize her words.

The grin on her aunt's face was infectious, and Chryseis found herself grinning in return and warming to her aunt.

Her aunt kept up the lively conversation as she brought them into the house to view the interior, which certainly was more spacious-looking than it had looked from the outside. All the rooms were decorated tastefully in post-modern furniture and décor.

They entered one of the rooms on the second storey.

"And this," Aunt Serene declared with a wide sweep of her arm, indicating to the beautiful room with four-poster bed and pale blue wallpaper, "is your room, Chryseis"

For a while, Chryseis could only stare in wonder at the splendor of the room in silence.

One look at Chryseis' face had her aunt chuckling. "I see that you like it."

"Oh, I am so sorry. Thank you so much. I love it." She leaned towards her aunt and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

Chryseis could see that her aunt was pleased by the action, for she beamed at Chryseis before she left the room to bring Chryseis's parents to their room.

Left alone, Chryseis wandered around her new room slowly, touching and admiring silently the beautiful objects in the room. She was touching the quilt, which was obviously hand-made and exquisite, spread out on the bed when she heard someone entering the room.

Assuming that it was her aunt, Chryseis didn't bother to turn around but thanked her for the quilt.

" You are quite welcome." The male, and very amused, voice that answered her had her gasping, startled, even as she turned around to face whoever had been standing behind her.

And found herself meeting similar purple eyes.

But the face was very obviously male and stunning, with a strong chin and high cheekbones. The similarity to Aunt Serene was there, in the shape of the face and nose. And he was tall.

"Hi. I don't believe we have met. I am Blake, Aunt Serene's nephew. You must be Chryseis." He offered her a grin.

Chryseis found herself smiling back," You are staying here too? Aunt Serene didn't mention anything about it."

"Probably slipped her mind. Old age. She didn't mention anything about you being so pretty either." His grin widened as Chryseis blushed.

If you ask him, women these days blush too little.

"Blake! Stop flirting with your cousin!" Aunt Serene's cheerful comment had Chryseis blushing even more.

Blake simply turned around and offered her an equally affable smile and hugged the petite woman enthusiastically.

Aunt Serene stepped back, smiling. Then, remembering Chryseis and her parents, turned towards them and quickly introduced them to Blake, who happened to be staying here for the next half of the year.

Blake smiled at them, and then he glanced casually at his watch.

Chryseis watched curiously as his face paled slightly.

"Damn!" he exclaimed, "I am running late! Sheri is going to kill me!"

He turned around to Aunt Serene with an apologetic smile," Have to run. Sheri is waiting for me. Sorry about leaving so suddenly. I'll be back for dinner."

He turned towards the Elafros, "Sheri is my sister. She is a monster when she gets mad." He offered as an explanation.

With that, he disappeared through the doorway.

"Oh, and nice meeting you, Chryseis, Aunt Gabrielle and Uncle Sean." He yelled while going down the stairs. They heard the front door slam as he went out of the door.

"Charming boy you've got there, Serene." Sean grinned.

" Such a sweet boy, isn't he?" she sighed, "And such a handsome one too." She slanted a sly look at Chryseis.

Sly look or not, Chryseis caught it and exclaimed in horror," Aunt Serene! He is my cousin!"

"Veritable kissable cousin, I would say. And he is not really your cousin. Too distant." Aunt Serene smiled triumphly as though she had scored a point.

Desperate to escape from her Aunt's not too subtle matchmaking attempts, Chryseis glanced at her parents for help and found, in their stead, empty space. Trust her parents to escape when she needed them most. Helpless, she turned back to her Aunt, who was still going on about Blake's attributes.

"Ding-dong!"

"Oh! Excuse me for a moment, dear. I wonder who is at the door?" Aunt Serene asked herself absently as she left the room with a twirl of her floral-print skirts.

Saved by the bell, literally, Chryseis thought in relief. Her aunt was about to go on about Blake's physical attributes, something Chryseis was definite she didn't want to hear about.

Hopefully, by the time she got back from receiving whoever it had been at the door, she would have forgotten about this.

Unlikely.

One thing she had learnt about Aunt Serene from encounters before was that she wasn't a lady to forget things easily nor gave up. So one alternative would be to escape before she came back.

But where could she go? She wasn't familiar with the place. She cast a wary glance at the open doorway. But then, anywhere is better than staying here.

Her mind made up, she walked quietly to the doorway. Seeing no Aunt Serene in sight, she slipped out of the room stealthily and down the corridor.

"Chryseis!" her aunt's call had Chryseis freezing in the act of going down the stairway, wincing slightly.

Seeing no way out of this, she called back albeit reluctantly," Yes, Aunt Serene?"

"Come down here for a moment, won't you, dear? Chris is here to see you!"

_Chris? Who is Chris?_ She didn't remember knowing anyone called Chris. Nevertheless, she moved down the stairway to the front door, where her aunt stood beaming at someone who stood on the doorsteps.

Chris turned out to be a handsome man of nineteen, with shoulder-length blond hair and sharp piercing blue eyes, and a devil of a smile that was currently aimed at Aunt Serene.

Chryseis approached the door curiously; certain that she did not know the man now that she had seen him.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

"No, _Mademoiselle_. I am just here to deliver this," he held up a small elongated wooden box up," directly to you, as were my orders."

"For me? Who is it from?" Chryseis took the box from his outstretched hand. The box was beautiful, covered with intricate carvings and a single rose engraved on the lid.

" You will know once you open it, though I advise you to open it in private. Good day then, ladies." He smiled at Chryseis and added," I'll be seeing you later, I hope, in the Bluebell Grove." Then he departed.

Chryseis frowned at his strange choice of words but didn't ponder on it. She diverted her curiosity instead to the mysterious box she held in her hand.

" Ain't he handsome? And that French accent." her aunt let out a dreamy sigh, her eyes starry.

Amused, Chryseis interrupted her aunt's dreamy stupor," Do you mind, Aunt Serene, if I went to my room? I want to see what is inside."

" Go ahead, dear." She waved her hand distractedly to indicate Chryseis to go ahead, and gave a dreamy sigh as she walked towards the living room. "Chris…"

Shaking her head in amusement, Chryseis headed up to her room, leaving her aunt alone to dream about the handsome and mysterious Chris.

Once in her room, she sat down onto her bed, nursing the box in her hand. She studied it carefully. Wondering who might have given her this, she lifted the lid.

And felt her world came crushing down on her.

Inside, on the lush silk interior, was a bracelet stained with blood.

Not just any bracelet. Alianne's. The one she had been wearing at the time of her death.


	7. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Dinner was a dreary event, with Aunt Serene talking non-stop about Chris. Blake was absent-he was eating over at his friend's place. Chryseis fretted about in her seat, wishing that it were over by now.

When it was finally over, Chryseis went up to her room on the pretense that she was tired and wanted an early sleep. She slipped out of the house as soon as she was certain that everyone was asleep.

The grove was nestled in midst of the forest that bordered on the edges of the town. It took Chryseis an hour to find it (She didn't dare ask for directions and it didn't help that _everything _looked different at night.). It was ten o'clock at night and the moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery sheen on the bluebells that filled the grove, giving it a magical appearance.

Chryseis remembered that once her mother had told them about how fields of bluebells are very magical, caused by the faeries that lived amidst them. She had laughed then, and said that faeries didn't exist in this world. But now, she wondered. She switched off the torchlight she held in her hand. The place was illuminated enough by the moon.

She glanced around at the grove for any sign of Chris or anybody at all. The place seemed empty. She wanted to ask him just what he had known about Alianne's death. One thing she knew for sure now: Alianne did not die of natural causes.

Her other hand clutched tightly around the sizable kitchen knife she carried in her pocket as she moved forward. She had taken it randomly from the kitchen drawers. Hopefully, her aunt would not notice its absence until she got back. _If_ she got back, that is. It would at least give her some advantage if Chris, whoever he was, decided to ambush her.

She stepped out into the clearing, her heart pounding as she scanned the trees around her for any movement at all. Then, she took a deep breath. She would be damned if she let him see how afraid she was.

Raising her voice, she called in clear tones," Chris, I know you are out there." She paused, then added thoughtfully, "On second thoughts, I don't really know, but if you are, do come out."

A rustle in the bushes had her whirling around, her heart pounding. Chris stood there, leaning casually against the trunk of a tree, hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans. He smiled at her, the same dashing smile he had given Aunt Serene.

"Miss Elafros. It is a pleasure to see you again."

"Cut off the pleasantries, Mr Whoever-you-are. You know very well why I am here and I want my answers now." Her firm tone belayed the fear lodging in her.

"All in due time." he strolled to Chryseis, "Nice moon we have here, don't we?" he tilted his head upwards.

Chryseis forced the urge to shred him to ribbons using the knife she had in her pocket. "What game are you playing, Chris?" she snapped.

He turned back to her, face reproving. Then his expression turned tender, gentled. "You didn't used to be like this. Alianne's death changed you. You used to be shy and gentle."

"Death changes everyone. Too much pain involved not to." She said shortly, uncomfortable at the change of topic. Then the significance of what he had said sank in.

"How did you know?" her tone incredulous, she spun around to stare at him.

"Let's just say that I have my…ways." he smiled.

"You have been spying on me?"

"Not spying, just observing."

"It amounts up to the same _thing_!" her tone rose up a few decibels on the last word.

Chris winced. "You are getting a bit _loud, _you know. You might like to tone down a little."

"You have been spying on me for god-knows how many years and you expect me to tone down?"

"There are reasons, Chryseis. Reasons that I, unfortunately, cannot gave you. What I can give you, however, is an easy death. One privilege that Alianne did not have, I am afraid."

Chris smiled briefly.

Chryseis backed away, not trusting that smile, her hand tightened on the knife even as she backed away.

"What do you mean?"

"Alianne was but a stepping stone, amidst a annoying one, to our plan." Chris smiled genially, as though they were talking about no more than the weather.

"You killed Alianne?" Chryseis stared at Chris in horror.

"Not me, Chryseis." Chris' voice was chiding. "How can you think such of me? It came as a surprise, Alianne's death. Surprising but convenient. It speeds things up considerately. Now, for your turn."

"You are crazy. Mad, demented, mental, crazed-" Chryseis's eyes dart around her surroundings, looking for a way to escape.

"Okay, okay. I got it the first time. No need to repeat so many times." Chris rolled his eyes, and took a step forward.

Chryseis took a step backwards.

Then, maybe it was a trick of light, but Chryseis watch in fascinated horror as Chris suddenly grew fangs, his eyes turned liquid silver.

She blinked in disbelief. They were still there.

"Oh. My. God." she choked out, feeling as if she was trapped in some freakish nightmare. "Draculas don't exist."

In a movement as quick as lightning, Chris was suddenly in front of her, pining her back against the tree behind her, his hand snaking up to grasp her neck in an iron grip, but not hard enough to choke her.

"But vampires do." He smiled, the fangs making him look fiendish in the moonlight.

He leaned close to her ear, his breath brushing her cheek gently as he exhaled, "Let me tell you a secret, Chryseis. You can treat it like a…pre-death present." He let out an amused laugh.

"Your sister, darling Chryseis, was agreeable upon our plan to kill you."

He leaned back, smiling as he waited for Chryseis's reaction.

"You are lying," Chryseis spat out. "My sister would never do such a thing. She doesn't even know _you_."

Smile widening, Chris said, "Oh, but she did. Believe it or not, she _was_ the one who suggested it."

Suddenly, his smile switched off. Just like that. It changed him completely, into a forbidding person; inhuman with his fangs and liquid silver eyes.

"We have talked too much. Now," his tone reproving as Chryseis struggled in his grasp, "Don't make this difficult. Stop squirming."

He gave her a sharp slap across the face, the sound echoing desolately in the grove.

Chryseis stopped struggling, sensing the futility of the movement. She closed her eyes, adverting her gaze from the sight of Chris' bared fangs. She had read enough about vampires to know how she would be killed.

"That is better. Now, don't move."

Even without seeing, Chryseis could feel Chris moving his mouth to her neck, the light brush of his hair against her cheek, his breath hot on her neck. Chris moved his right hand from where it held Chryseis's hands captive to cup the back of her neck.

Seeing her chance, Chryseis pulled out the kitchen knife from where it nestled in her pocket and thrust it into Chris' back.

An unholy snarl rent the air as Chris pulled back from Chryseis, staggered back a few steps, his hand reaching behind to his back to pull out the knife.

Chryseis slide to the ground, whimpers escaping her at the sight of the blood that covered Chris's hand like a crimson glove when he removed the knife from his back.

Chris' eyes swiveled to Chryseis, their silver depths glowing. With a deceptively casual flick of his hand, he threw the knife away from him, where it embedded into the midst of the bluebells, its hilt quivering from the shock of the contact seconds later.

"You really shouldn't have done that, Chryseis." He said, mouth drawn back in a snarl that displayed his fangs even more prominently.

Terror clutched at her and gave her strength. Suddenly, she was on her feet and dashing madly towards the cover of the trees. Here, the towering treetops blocked out what little light the moon had to offer. Shadows seem to leap out from every crook and cranny at her. Her hands were stretched out in front of her as she raced blindly through the forest.

Suddenly, a light loomed in front of her. The town! She must be reaching the edge of the forest! Her heart leaped at this new discovery. She looked back over her shoulder for Chris. Big mistake. Her foot caught in a protruding tree root and, with a muffled cry, she fell hard onto the forest ground, knocking the breath out of her.

Gasping for breath, she shifted her position on the ground so that she was sitting up, leaned against a tree. From the pain her leg was giving out, she knew that it had been sprained. She felt a presence standing over her and knew that it was Chris. She lifted her eyes slowly and met Chris' silver ones.

"Didn't you learn before that metal doesn't kill vampires?" he smiled at her a chilling smile. "They hurt like hell though, I have to say." He added thoughtfully.

"You kind of need to stick a wooden stake here," he gestured to the left side of his chest, "to kill me."

Chryseis closed her eyes, knowing that she would die now.

"Here is your bloody wood, you bloodsucking leech!" An angry voice snarled.

Chryseis opened her eyes just in time to see Chris run through by Blake with a wooden stake. Then, before her eyes, Chris toppled to the ground and started mummifying.

"Oh. My. God." She gasped out, feeling her vision starting to swim after the "visual onslaught" she had just received. The last thing she heard before she fainted was Blake's rather panicked and concerned cry of her name.

* * *

Author's note: i really did not have the time to edit this chapter, i will do so when i have the chance. for now, pls make do with all the mistakes! thanks! 


	8. Chapter Six

Author: TwilightStaruby

Title: Chryseis

Summary: This is a story of a girl who, after her sister's death, moved to Ashton, a quiet little town in Massachusetts. There, she finds out that the town isn't as quiet as it had seemed...nor as harmless...For her sister's own killer is there himself...

Disclaimers: L.J.Smith owns all original theory on the NightWorld. Chryseis and other main characters are mine.

My sincerest, humblest thanks to all the kind nice people who care enough to review for Chryseis! I know that this chapter is long overdue and actually would be for longer but then, since I was stuck on Song of the Siren, I decided to finish this. (beams)

And the oscars(haha, joking)go to:

Calisia girl...incarnated-soul...Terriah...Zabella...Piscean Wisdom...shane's gal...Dogs die in hot cars...Mayhemk...missy...fran...Miss Mary Lou...

Special thanks to incarnated-soul: You are an angel : ) Thank you for being there always and for reviewing every single chapter of my stories even though some are really bad..In short, thanks for being there always!

Miss Mary Lou: I appreicate the time you took to point out my mistakes in the previous chapters : )Thanks a lot for everything and all the flattering things you said...Also, sorry, but Chris is already a pile of ash in the previous chapter (winces)...but I promise to add in more guys like him! hehehe...how about Iain? ; )

Thanks people and love you LOTS for reviewing!

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_I had a **dream** which was not at all a **dream**._

-Lord Byron, George Gordon Noel Byron(1788-1824)

Chapter six 

Chryseis dreamt.

She dreamt of vampires, of Chris with his fangs bared, Alianne and a pair of familiar enigmatic golden eyes. In the strange ways of dreams, she reached for them but they moved further and further away from her until they were no more than a speck in the distance.

Chryseis's eyes opened into blurry slits. She was lying on something soft, something fluffy. After a few moments of lingering in a state of half-consciousness, she opened her eyes. She didn't recognize the room she was in. The room was beautiful in its simplicity, the muted gold of the walls giving the room a feeling of warmth.

For a moment, she thought it was still night, for the room was dark. Glancing to her right slowly (her head hurt when she moved it too fast), she realized why. Heavy drapes hung over the floor length windows, blocking out every shard of sunlight and cast the room into shadows.

Then, memory of what had happened came flooding back to her. Of the last moments when Blake had entered and saved her from Chris, who had grown fangs and tried to attack her. She remembered the withering Chris had undergone with the wood sticking out of his chest. (There simply isn't a refined way of putting that). She twisted her head and looked down at her dress. It was the one she was wearing yesterday night and streaks of dirt from where she had fallen to the forest floor stained her clothes. Maybe it was just a nightmare. Maybe she hadn't woken up yet. She lay back onto the pillow and tried to well…wake up.

"I don't think that would work." An amused voice stated. Startled, Chryseis' eyes flew open. Someone had entered the room without her notice during her little, um … venture to see whether everything was a dream. That someone leaned against the doorframe, light spilling in from the open doorway behind him, emerald eyes laughing at her, lips curled up in a lopsided laugh that was endearing in a boyish kind of way.

She sat up, horrified not that he had witnessed the whole thing but rather that this means that all of it was real. Every single thing from the fangs to the mummifying.

"Shit." The word slipped from her mouth before she could stop it and she sat up straight on the bed. She didn't know what she was more horrified about: her slip or the fact that _he_ was clearly laughing at her and making no effort to cover it. She gave him the most dignified glare she could muster whilst sitting on her bed in clothes that looked worse for wear and looking none for the better. She resisted the urge to smooth her wrinkled clothes and smooth her hair.

"Good morning," He grinned at her then, a full-fledge grin that immediately caused her to lowered her defenses. Like any girl could resist that mega-watt, knee-melting grin, and that oh-so-sexy musical lilt in his accent that hinted at Irish blood. _Damn him._

Annoyed with herself for thinking _and_ acting like a besotted fool, she snapped," Who might you be? And where am I? Where is Blake? Is he here? What happened?"

"I'll answer the first four questions. The fifth I'll leave it to Blake to answer. First of all, Blake is busy downstairs now, but he will be up here shortly, as soon as he has settled whatever matter needed to be settled. As for who I am, I am Iain. Iain MacConner. Pleased to finallymake your acquaintance, cousin of Blake." His lilt made him sound as though he was reciting a poem instead of speaking, the words washing like a caress over her skin.

Chryseis refused to acknowledge the feeling of her heart fluttering in response to that utterly delicious smile. However, she felt a smile lit her face in response, however hesitatingly or reluctantly.

"Chryseis. Chryseis Elafros. My name." She added when he gave her a confused look, a slight frown furrowing his forehead, making him look endearingly boyish.

"You have a very special name, Chryseis." The way he pronounce it made her name sound exotic and beautiful.

"Why?" Curious, she tilted her head to one side as she contemplated it. She never gave it much thought, but now that she came to realize it, her name _was_ unique.

"'Chryseis' means golden on Greek, while 'Elafros' is Greek for light. So your full name really means 'golden light'."

The only thing Chryseis did after hearing this particularly enlightening and informative piece of information was to blink her eyes slowly in incomprehension.

"My mother is part greecian." He let out a sheepish smile after noting her expression as he explained hurriedly.

"Oh," The not very intelligent response was the only thing Chryseis could come up with at the moment.

"I am sure that it is very enlightening and all, but that would not be what she is wanting to know at this very moment, I believe," Blake entered the room, a grin on his face.

Chryseis suddenly felt drawfed by the two men towering over her bedside. And she was getting a crink in her neck by just simply looking at the two of them.

"Do you mind? If you would just sit down?" Chryseis gestured to the chairs situated at her bedside. "You are straining my neck." She muttered under her breath.

They sat immediately, though the chairs, a bit on the short side, forced Blake to tuck his long legs at an awkward angle beneath the chair while Iain sprawled in the chair in a devil-may-care manner.

Silence fell for a moment as the occupants exchanged a silent look between them.

Then, "What is going on?" Chryseis directed her words to Blake, who looked at her in silence for a moment before going,"Oh well. She'll have to know one day, sooner or later."

Iain nodded his agreement, saying flippantly as he did so, "Why don't you do the honors? It has started to wear on me over the years. I'll contribute pointers."

"Why don't you do it? Since you are already an expert on it?" Blake fixed his friend with a belligerent look of annoyance.

"She is your cousin." Iain grinned when Blake lapsed into silence, slapped in the face with the undeniable fact.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Blake grumbled something uncomplimentary under his breath.

Throughout the entire exchange, Chryseis had the feeling that she was the only one in the whole room who had no idea what was going on between the two. And she hated the fact that they were talking as though she didn't exist.

She begin to opened her mouth to rectify that when Blake turned back to her and stopped her with a, "Let me tell you something first. It will give you a…background on what has happened."

She nodded silently, intrigued despite herself.

"But what I am going to tell you is confidential and cannot travel out of this room. Do I make myself clear?"

Chryseis inclined her head in agreement, curiosity in her growing as she took in her cousin's words.

Blake took in a deep breath as though to brace himself for whatever he was going to say next.

"It is called the Night World."

"The Night World is an organization that exists all around us. The members are primarily vampires, shapeshifters and witches, though most of the witches have already disaffiliated to Circle Daybreak, which is another organization for anyone who wishes to try and live together in peace."

He paused.

For a moment, Chryseis wondered if she had heard wrongly.

There wasn't a movement or a sound coming for Chryseis. She simply sat with her eyes trained on him, not moving a muscle.

_And this is where they usually start labelling you as a crazy nutcase that they had the misfortune to meet. _Iain's voice came to him in his mind, amusement clear in his tone.

_Shut up MacConner. Go play in your coffin._

_My, my. Testy aren't we here?_ That was followed by a guffaw of laughter.

_Shut. Up._

_Let's see. She will call you insane in exactly three, two, one._

"Are you totally insane?" _I told you. _This came out from both Chryseis and Iain together, with the latter looking extremely smug.

_I hate it when you do that._ Blake sent a glare to Iain.

_I know. _Iain grin a condescending grin before he rose.

"I think I will go back now and leave the two of you to your little tête-à-tête. But before I go,"

He turned suddenly to Chryseis, who looked up in surprise at the sudden movement. She barely saw the subtle changes to his eyes, turning them a molten silverbefore he bared his extended teeth to her.

"Trick or treat."

Chryseis' jaw dropped.

"And _now_, I'll be going back to my coffin." Iain turned and walked smugly away.

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A/N: I am trying out shorter chapters so that I am able to update more frequently...next installment will hopefully be out soon... :) 


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